I am a bead and fiber artist. “Painting with beads” is how I describe my work. Beads are my “paint”. Needle and thread are my “brushes”. My paintings express my sense of place, my deep appreciation for and unique relationship with the shores of Lake Superior and forest trails of Northern Minnesota. From this picture book world I paint my impressions of the familiar yet ever changing patterns of light and color that delight and excite the senses. Through my work I invite the viewer to share a connection to nature, the abundant variety, peace, and beauty of this Place.
For me life is tactile and labor intensive … like my beadwork. It is a patient art form. Choosing one bead at a time and stitching up to two hundred beads per square inch, it can take months to complete a piece.
Stitching is the natural choice of artistic expression for me. My skills with needle and thread have been developed and practiced for more than 40 years. Beads have been my medium for over a decade and my passion for them has continued to grow along with my palette of these tiny, shiny orbs. The way light plays in and on the glass creates amazing color possibilities.
My subject matter is rich in color, depth, and texture. It is important to me to explore materials and develop techniques that incorporate those qualities in my paintings. I have worked on a variety of fabrics, sometimes covering the entire surface with beads or leaving part of it exposed as background and contrast to the glass beads. I use a huge variety of bead sizes, colors and surface finishes. In some pieces I use stitching techniques that lifted the beads off the surface of the fabric or use layering beads over beads for more depth and texture. These variations in materials and technique give my paintings depth, both physical and visual.
In early 2001 I began working with a knit/felted wool material developed by Lou Ann Forbes of Blue Sky Prairie Textiles in Illinois. This material most certainly added the depth and texture I sought for my work. The colors and texture of this fabric become an integral part of the finished image. In Dec. 2001 I was awarded a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant to work with Ms. Forbes, designing fabrics that will serve as both the “canvas” and the “paint” along with the beads for specific pieces. Numerous paintings have been completed with these fabrics.
I will continue to explore beads and fiber as my medium and produce paintings that express my personal experience, the inspiring moments of being here, where every sense is open to the magnificence of this place.
My beaded landscapes have found homes throughout the region, state, country, and Europe. I would be happy to talk with you about a commission piece for your collection.
The series Left-Handed Love Stories began a few years ago. I was sketching ideas for Valentines. Most were of the “hearts-and flowers” variety, cupcakes and balloons. Then my mind began to wander down other trails. Love as medicine became the poison pill. It was more interesting to me to explore the road less traveled. The collection of “love stories” began to grow.
Last year I had to plan some things to do during recovery from surgery on my right shoulder. I am a right-handed bead and fiber artist. But, there would be no beading for many weeks. With a passionate need to create despite physical challenges, I decided to work on some of the “love stories” with my left hand with paint. Perfect! After all, they were sort of Left-Handed Love Stories.
For me, paint is such a fast and messy medium, so different from the patient art of bead embroidery. Painting with my non-dominate hand proved to be an interesting process because I gave myself permission to be looser, less fussy with the details. And the perspective I was coming from was sort of light-hearted. More the “how’d I ever get myself into this silly mess?” than a dark or angry “what you did to me”. We all need to laugh at life’s twist and turns. I hope you will view my Left-Handed Love Stories with that in mind.
Finally, I have to thank my friends and family for their support and observations. My son asked if I was working out some issues. (There’s something to think about!) Another comment was — maybe I had been listening to too many country/western songs. Many thanks to friends Mark and Shannon for helping me title the pieces during a hilarious game of “Name That ‘Toon”. And a very special Thank You to Jeffrey Schmidt of Lizzards Art Gallery, Duluth for agreeing to show my debut series of paintings for Valentines Day. My heart has wings.
| Gallery | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| The Grand Hand | St. Paul, MN | 2007 to present |
| Last Chance Gallery | Lutsen, MN | 2007 to present |
| Lizzards Gallery | Duluth, MN | 2006 to present |
| Sivertson Galleries | Grand Marais & Duluth, MN | 1995 to 2007 |
| Grant/Honor | Given By | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Artists Initative Grant | Minnesota State Arts Board | 2005 |
| Special Merit Award | Jeane Pearce Walker Art Show, “Storm!” | 2004 |
| Superior Shores Competition | Second Place Award in the Plein Aire Paint-off | 2003 |
| Career Development Grant | Arrowhead Regional Arts Council | 2002 |
| Juror “Great Northern Beadwork” | Copper County Community Arts Council | 2002 |
| Career Opportunity Grant | Minnesota State Arts Board | 2001 |
| Emerging Artist Fellowship | Arrowhead Regional Arts Council | 2000 |
| Publication | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 500 Beaded Objects | Lark Books, New York | 2004 |
| Peace Calendar 2003 | Syracuse Cultural Workers, Syracuse NY | 2002 |
| Beaded Embellishment by Clark & Atkins | Interweave Press | 2002 |
| “Stitching A Sense of Place In Beads” | Beadwork Magazine, December Issue | 2000 |
| Exhibition | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| “Women Of Fiber” | Last Chance Gallery, Lutsen, MN | July 2007 |
| “Left-Handed Love Stories”, Featured Artist | Lizzards Gallery, Duluth, MN | February 2007 |
| “A Common Thread” | Textile Center, Minneapolis, MN | January 2007 |
| “The Metaphors & Gifts of Fear” | The Red Mug, Superior WI | October 2006 |
| “Vanishing Landscapes” | Ripple River Gallery, Aitkin, MN | March 2006 |
| “Crossing Borders” Tour of Studios, Guest Artist | Lutsen, MN | October 2005 & 2006 |
| “Materialized” | Sivertson Gallery, Duluth, MN | November 2004 |
| Grand Marais Art Colony Instructors Show | Frank Stone Gallery, Minneapolis, MN | 2004-2005 |
| “The Cat’s Meow” | Mary Vincent Gallery, LaGrange, IL | January 2003 |
| “Time In Place”, Featured Artist | Ripple River Gallery, Aitkin, MN | August 2002 |
| “Great Northern Beadwork” | Copper County Arts Center, Hancock, MI | September 2002 |
| “Images From The North Shore” Invitational | Flanders Contemporary Art, Minneapolis, MN | September 1999 |
| Commissioner | Location | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayo Clinic | Rochester, NN | commission | 2006 |
| Springboard for the Arts | St. Paul, MN | commission | 2002 |
| Interweave Press | Loveland, CO | cover art, Beadwork magazine | 2001 |
| Kimberly-Clark Paper Co. | Neeah, WI | packaging art | 2000 |
| Waters of Superior | Grand Marais, MN | catalog cover art | 2000 |
| Affiliate | Affiliation | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Regional Arts Council | Board of Directors | 2000 to 2006 |
| Grand Marais Art Colony | Board of Directors | 2000 to 2002 |
| Grand Marais Art Colony | Member | 1998 to 2005 |
| Textile Center of Minnesota | Member | 2002 to present |
| Upper Midwest Bead Society | Member | 1997 to present |
| Program | Function | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| North House Folk School | Workshops Instructor, Bead Embroidery | Grand Marais, MN | 1996 to present |
| Upper Midwest Bead Society | Slide Presentation and Workshop Instructor | Textile Center of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN | October 2003 |
| Northern Bead Symposium | Keynote Speaker and Workshop Instructor | Hancock, MI | September 2002 |
| Duluth Needle Society | Slide Presentation and Workshop Instructor | Duluth, MN | October & November 2002 |
| Grand Marais Art Colony | Slide Presentation and Workshop Instructor | Grand Marais, MN | May 2002, 2003, & 2005 |
| “Beadwork Bash 2001” | Workshop Instructor | Lake Tahoe, CA | October 2001 |
Working with textiles has been my lifelong journey. I have developed and practiced my needle and fiber skills for more than 40 years.
While studying Northern Illinois University from 1970 to 1973, I tried my hand at almost every medium in the Fine Arts Department. Painting and weaving were my favorites. In 1974 I earned my Associates of Arts Degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Kishwaukee College in Malta, Il.
After college and while raising a family I worked in alterations, tailoring, and custom sewing (making everything from wedding ensembles to tipis). After moving to the North Shore in 1986 I supported my family for several years by weaving birch bark baskets and sewing original designs in fur and leather.
In 1994 I made the choice to narrow my focus to beads and fiber, to develop my “bead paintings” as a personal means of artistic expression. Explorations of this patient medium lead me to designing special fabrics for many of my pieces. Working in this unique medium continues to be artistically challenging, exciting, and rewarding.